SAN FRANCISCO — The assistant coach for the Green Bay Packers glanced down at the tape recorder. In other words, shut it off.

Then he enunciated, in very plain English, just how fed up the entire Green Bay organization has become hearing about the supposed physical superiority and overall strength of the San Francisco 49ers entering their divisional playoff matchup Saturday night at Candlestick Park.

Listening to players and coaches answer questions about the 49ers this week was reminiscent how Mike Shanahan and the Denver Broncos approached the Super Bowl against the Packers 15 years ago.

All of the Broncos’ pent-up fury at being cast as the team with a nice story but little chance exploded on game day, and the unsuspecting Packers were knocked clear off their feet.

One of the few who didn’t play along much this week was Mike McCarthy. In his press briefings, the pugnacious coach went back to the pages of his 2010 postseason playbook.

The Packers, said McCarthy, “have established our brand of football. . . and that’s what we’re taking to San Francisco to win.”

McCarthy said his players “respond better when they’re disrespected,” “were ready for the environment that they’re walking into” and “were focused on the things we do.”

The Packers reigned atop the football world just two years ago. The San Francisco 49ers haven’t been on top since January 1995.

Yet, even though the two teams were separated by merely one-half game in the standings, it’s the 49ers, not the Packers, who are favored by three points.

McCarthy knows why. His team was defeated by San Francisco at Lambeau Field on opening day, and there were no excuses. The Packers got drilled.

So now McCarthy wants every man and woman that works in the building to know just how good he feels about this team. If players needed a jolt of confidence after watching tape of the 49ers belting the Packers, McCarthy was out in public giving it to them.

Not unexpectedly, players began parroting McCarthy’s message, in so many words saying that if the Packers play well they can’t be beat.

Motivation within a locker room, of course, stems from all kind of sources.

The number of the 49ers’ selections compared to the Packers’ selections on the Pro Bowl team (9-3), the all-pro team (4-0) and the all-NFC team (7-2) has become more than just a minor irritant.

But you know what? With one or two exceptions, most of those picks were justified. The 49ers have a talented roster.

A few days ago, McCarthy said he loved it when someone did well with an opportunity. Now there is almost no better opportunity than this, in Saturday night prime time against a worthy, rested opponent.

Beyond the overriding team objective, here’s a guess at what might be driving eight important Packers on Saturday night:

Aaron Rodgers: The NFL has been blessed to gain a new wave of running quarterbacks in the last two years, including Robert Griffin III, Cam Newton, Russell Wilson and Colin Kaepernick.

As competitive as Rodgers is, please forgive him for being less than thrilled about this development.

Rodgers’ return to his native northern California to play the team that passed on him eight years ago is old news. What’s new is his first matchup against Kaepernick, who not only is much bigger but also faster and two points better (37-35) on the Wonderlic intelligence test.

The worst thing Rodgers could do is try to equal or outdo Kaepernick if he bounds away for a long run early off the read-option. If others choose to rhapsodize about quarterbacks such as Kaepernick becoming the future at the position, so be it.

Rodgers must remain the Grand Master, professionally detached yet domineering at the same time. Besides, coordinator Vic Fangio and his players got the best of him Sept, 9, and that simply cannot happen again.

Based on the remarks of some broadcasters, Rodgers appears to have complained to them in “production” meetings that his sterling performance in 2011 made his efforts this year somewhat underappreciated.

If Rodgers blisters the 49ers as he did the Falcons and Steelers two postseasons ago, he’ll be canonized all over again.

B.J. Raji: Justin Smith is 33 and playing with one arm. It might be his last hurrah as the league’s most dominant three-technique defensive tackle.

Waiting in the wings with a chance to succeed Smith is Raji, just 26 and completing his fourth year.

Raji had a big second season and a big second half of this season. When Raji is fresh and playing all-out, he can dominate.

But getting after the Minnesota Vikings’ guard tandem of Charlie Johnson and Brandon Fusco two weeks in a row isn’t like doing it against the 49ers’ offensive line, which might be the best there is.

Across the sideline, the king, Smith, will be watching. Now Raji, who also hopes to break the bank with a fat new contract this spring, has his chance to explode onto the national scene.

Greg Jennings: Members of the 49ers’ secondary took delight in meting out punishment in Game 1.

“The biggest thing was, we were just trying to hit those guys,” cornerback Tarell Brown said that day. “As many times as we could. Us being physical and trying to hit guys every opportunity we can, that discourages a lot of guys from going across the middle. When you get hit, hit, hit, it makes your arms a little shorter.”

Playing mostly from the slot, Jennings caught five passes for 34 yards. He wasn’t his normal aggressive self after the catch before exiting at the end with a pulled groin.

The Packers know the safeties, Donte Whitner and particularly Dashon Goldson, will be buzzing around trying to smash anything that moves.

Jennings, who also is fighting for his financial future in Green Bay or elsewhere, cannot allow himself to be intimidated.

A.J. Hawk: Several times this season, defensive coordinator Dom Capers has praised Hawk for his consistent performance. But with Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman on the field, Capers and everyone else will be able to see the degree of difference between Hawk and elite inside linebackers.

Hawk was one of the few players on defense that held up well on opening day. Hawk’s durability has been remarkable throughout his career.

Now Hawk will be asked to key against an offense with a wider assortment of running plays than almost any in the league. At the same time, he will be asked to take on and shed a rugged blocking fullback (Bruce Miller) and two hardnosed, nasty guards (Mike Iupati, Alex Boone).

One week ago, an NFC personnel man rated Hawk as the Packers’ most physical run defender. If Hawk can help stymie Frank Gore without getting burned by Vernon Davis on play-action fakes, the chances that the Packers would release him or ask him for a pay cut would be greatly reduced.

Clay Matthews: Matthews was Green Bay’s best player the first time around. He destroyed Joe Staley, the 49ers’ top-notch left tackle.

Yet, San Francisco’s Aldon Smith joined Denver’s Von Miller on the all-pro team, and Matthews’ name was missing.

This week, two scouts said they’d take Matthews over Smith. But with a television audience numbering in the tens of millions, Matthews could take his all-pro slight and, with a colossal showing, add a few more millions to what the Packers already intend to pay him this spring.

Jermichael Finley: He has been a portrait of reliability in the passing game for almost two months now. Not sure that has been written before, but it is true.

Now can he do it against the 49ers?

He didn’t in Game 1. His two dropped passes were the only ones the Packers had.

Finley hasn’t been the least bit fazed by discussion of his future. Whether it’s in Green Bay or elsewhere, he can be confident the fat checks will keep coming.

Now Finley wants a ring representing a postseason that he played in rather than spent rehabbing a blown knee. To do it, he needs to make every catch and run block much better than he has, which won’t be easy against edge-setters Ahmad Brooks and Aldon Smith.

Sam Shields: Here’s another player thinking about his future. As a restricted free agent, Shields will receive at least a first-round tender in March to keep him off the market. His goal is a lucrative contract extension as soon as possible.

Bush and everyone else in the secondary seemed petrified of Randy Moss’ speed and played softer than soft coverage. Moss still can run, but Shields can run with anyone provided his eyes remain on his man, not in the backfield.

Moss has killed the Packers many times over the years. He is fully capable of doing it again, too, if Shields slips up.

Charles Woodson: He was just OK on opening day.

He combined to halt Gore on a third and 1 and had an impressive 11/2 sacks on just five rushes. He also had a third-down holding penalty on Davis, didn’t do the job in secondary containment on Gore’s 23-yard touchdown run and blew the call and coverage on a 29-yard pass to Davis.

Last week, Woodson played his part in not letting Adrian Peterson control the game but also blew the coverage that let Michael Jenkins walk across for a 50-yard touchdown.

This isn’t about perception or age, headlines or heroes. This is about playing one’s assignment, acting on calculated-only gambles and preventing Gore, Davis and Delanie Walker from sustaining drives.

Almost everyone has an ax to grind with the 49ers and a bill to pay at home.

So many motivators, so much opportunity.

The Packers have been a good team, not a great team, this season. The way McCarthy and the players view it, this is a team that’s where it should be when it needs to be.

To beat San Francisco and win another Super Bowl, greatness probably will be required.

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